Apparatus for producing artificial snow

ABSTRACT

Mixing chamber means define a mixing chamber adapted to be filled with water. Said mixing chamber means comprise a wall. At least one discharge nozzle communicates with said mixing chamber. An air inlet pipe has an outlet opening in said mixing chamber. A water supply pipe is directly connected to said wall and has a water outlet opening through which said water supply pipe communicates with said mixing chamber. Said water outlet opening is smaller in area than the cross-section of said mixing chamber so that said water supply pipe is formed with a turbulenceproducing edge defining said water outlet opening.

United States Patent [1 1 Kiegerl APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ARTIFICIAL SNOW [75] Inventor: Karl Kiegerl, Deutschlandsberg,

Austria [73] Assignee: Hans Krapinger, Stmk. Austria {22] Filed: Feb. 21,1974

[21] Appl. No: 444,388

3,494,559 2/1970 Skinner. 3.774343 11/1973 Rice FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 791,579 8/1968 Canada 239/2 5 1 Aug. 5, 1975 Prinmry l:'.\uIm'nerLloyd L. King Allm'ney. Agenr. (1r FirmYoung & Thompson {57] ABSTRACT Mixing chamber means define a mixing chamber adapted to be filled with water. Said mixing chamber means comprise a wall. At least one discharge nozzle communicates with said mixing chamber. An air inlet pipe has an outlet opening in said mixing chamber. A water supply pipe is directly connected to said wall and has a water outlet opening through which said water supply pipe communicates with said mixing chamber. Said water outlet opening is smaller in area than the cross-section of said mixing chamber so that said water supply pipe is formed with u turhulenccproducing edge defining said water outlet opening.

4 Claims. 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEI] AUG 51975 SHEET FIG.2

PATENTEU AUG 51975 SHEET M GU 1 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ARTIFICIAL SNOW This invention relates to an apparatus for producing artificial snow. comprising at least one mixing chamber provided with a discharge nozzle, which communicates with a water supply pipe, and an air inlet pipe, which opens in the mixing chamber. which is filled with water during the operation of the apparatus.

Many of the known apparatus, which are sometimes described as snow guns, involve a very high structural expenditure and/or have a very low capacity.

The U.S. Pat. No. 3,494,559 describes an apparatus for producing artificial snow. In that apparatus, air and snow are supplied into a chamber, which is filled mainly with air. The water is supplied by a conduit and is passed by a nozzle through said chamber. Air and water are mixed in a short pipe, which is connected to the chamber.

In known apparatus air is supplied through a pipe into a chamber, which contains an outlet opening of a nozzle used to supply water. As in the apparatus shown in the above US. Pat. No. water flows into and through a chamber which is substantially filled with air.

In known apparatus, water is also blown into flowing air. Liquid, particularly water is supplied through a conduit provided with a nozzle and is introduced into flowing gas immediately before a Venturi tube.

In these known apparatus, the air nozzles consist substantially of annular nozzles, which surround the water discharge nozzles, and it has been found that these air nozzle are often liable to ice. For this reason it has already been proposed to avoid such icing by the provi sion of annular heaters adjacent to the air nozzles. On

the other hand, such annular heaters consume electric energy in operation and their use reduces the yield of snow.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,676,471 shows and describes a nozzle which can be used in a snow gun. That apparatus of the kind defined first hereinbefore serves to produce artificial snow and has a mixing chamber provided with a discharge nozzle. The interior of the mixing chamber communicates with a water supply conduit. An air inlet pipe opens in the mixing chamber, which is filled with water during the operation of the apparatus. That apparatus has the disadvantage that the air-water mixture is subjected to several changes in direction in the apparatus so that there is a risk of segregation.

It is an object of the invention to provide for the pro duction of artificial snow an apparatus which is structurally simple and free of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the known apparatus, whereas the capacity of the apparatus should be at least as high as the capacity of the known apparatus.

This object is accomplished according to the invention essentially in that the wall defining the mixing chamber is directly connected to the water supply pipe and that the water outlet opening of the water supply pipe is smaller in area than the cross-section ofthe mixing chamber so that a turbulence-producing edge is provided on the inlet side of the mixing chamber. Because the air inlet pipe opens in the mixing chamber, which contains flowing water, an icing at the air outlet opening of the air inlet pipe is reliably avoided and the turbulence-producing edge ensures an intense mixing of air and water without risk of a subsequent segregation. There will be no disturbing icing adjacent to the discharge nozzle because the nozzle bore is constantly flushed open by the air-water mixture flowing therethrough. Finally, the apparatus according to the invention may be used at higher temperatures than the known apparatus.

A structurally particularly simple embodiment is characterized in that the air inlet pipe extends through the water supply pipe and beyond the water inlet opening, and the air inlet pipe is connected to that wall of the water supply pipe which is opposite to the water outlet opening and communicates with an air supply pipe.

According to another modification of the invention, the water supply pipe and the air supply pipe are curved and the mixing chambers are spaced apart and disposed on the outside of the curvature of the water supply pipe. This embodiment ensures that the apparatus has a larger width range and also ensures that the air-water mixtures emerging from the dischage nozzles having different directions do not interfere wtih each other so that there is sufficient outside air available adjacent to each air-water mixture jet, whereby the chilling of the fine water droplets is improved and the yield of snow is increased.

Further advantages and details of the invention will be explained more fully with reference to the embodiment shown on the drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing apparatus for producing artificial snow,

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic front elevation showing the apparatus of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line III- III in FIG. 1.

The apparatus comprises an air supply pipe 1, which is curved according to an arc of a circle, and a water supply Pipe 2, which is concentric to the pipe I. The radius of curvature of the air supply pipe 1 is about I to 1.5 meters. In the embodiment shown by way of example, the air supply pipe I and the water supply pipe 2 are square in cross-section and are made from corre spondingly bent shaped pipes. Air under a pressure of, e.g., 6 kilograms per square centimeter, is supplied into the air supply pipe 1. A conventional building site compressor may be used as an air source. The air supply pipe I and the water supply pipe 2 are tightly sealed at the end which is on the right in FIG. I and are provided with emptying screws 13 at the other end. The air supply pipe 1 and the water supply pipe 2 can be emptied by means of these emptying screws when the apparatus has been shut down.

Water under a pressure of preferably 5 kilograms per square centimeter is supplied into the water supply pipe 2. The water supply rate is controlled by a valve 12, preferably a gate valve, which is incorporated in conduit II.

In the embodiment shown by way of example, six mixing chambers 3 provided with discharge nozzles are provided on the outside of the curvature of the water supply pipe 2 and are evenly spaced apart. The number of mixing chambers 3 may be varied in dependence on the rate at which snow is to be produced and the water pressure which is available. The mixing chambers have a substantially cylindrical wall 6, which is welded to the forward side of the water supply pipe 2. At the end remote from the water supply pipe 2, the wall 6 carries a nozzle holder 5, which is also joined to the wall 6 by a seam weld. The discharge nozzle 4 is screwed in the nozzle holder 5, with a sealing ring 4' interposed. At that end which is adjacent to the water supply pipe 2, the nozzle holder 5 has a conical recess, which tapers toward the nozzle 4. The bore of the discharge nozzle 4 is also conically tapered in the direction of flow along part of its length.

Because the outlet nozzle 4 is screwed in the nozzle holder 5. the discharge nozzles can easily be exchanged so that the cross-section of the nozzle can easily be adapted to the existing weather conditions. The colder and drier the weather, the larger may be the nozzle cross-section. A larger nozzle cross-section results in a higher yield of artificial snow.

Water is transferred from the water supply pipe 2 into the mixing chambers 3 through water outlet openings 14, which are formed in the water supply pipe 2 and concentric with the respective walls 6. The water supply opening 14 is smaller in area than the cross section of the mixing chamber 3 so that a turbulenceproducing edge 9 is formed at the inlet of the mixing chamber.

Air is supplied into the mixing chamber 3 through air inlet pipes 7, which open in the mixing chamber 3. At its end disposed in the mixing chamber 3, each air inlet pipe carries a nozzle 8. The axis of the nozzle bore of the nozzle 8 is aligned with the axis of the bore in the discharge nozzle 4. In the embodiment shown by way of example, the air inlet pipe 7 consists of a straight pipe and extends through the water supply pipe 2 exactly radially with respect to the curvature thereof. The

air inlet pipe 7 is secured by a seam weld to the wall of the water supply pipe 2 on the inside of the curvature thereof. The air inlet pipes 7 are also connected to the air supply pipe I. This arrangement ensures a uniform supply of air to all mixing chambers and permits of combining the air supply pipe 1, the water supply pipe 2, and the mixing chambers 3 provided with the dis charge nozzles 4 in a unit of construction.

The apparatus is mounted on a tube stand, which has a height of about 1.20 meters, and owing to its light weight can easily be moved by hand when supported by skids.

Water may be supplied through pipelines such as are used in agricultural operations for the irrigation of fields. From a single location, the apparatus according to the invention can be operated to provide a uniform snow cover on an area of about 200 square meters.

The embodiment which has just been described and is shown in the drawings serves only for an explanation of the nature of the invention. which is not restricted to details that have been shown or described.

The apparatus of the invention produces snow at temperatures below 0C at any atmospheric moisture. In case of an atmospheric moisture below average values i.e. below 50% snow will be produced at temperatures up to +2C, and in case of extreme low moisture (30% and lower) up to +4C.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for producing artificial snow. which comprises mixing chamber means defining at least one mixing chamber adapted to be filled with water, said mixing chamber means comprising a wall.

a discharge nozzle connected to said mixing chamher,

an air inlet pipe having an outlet opening in said mixing chamber, and

a water supply pipe directly connected to said wall and having a water outlet opening through which said water supply pipe communicates with said mixing chamber,

said water outlet opening being smaller in area and in diameter than the cross-section of said mixing chamber and smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of said water supply pipe so that said water supply pipe is formed with a turbulenceproducing edge defining said water outlet opening.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said air inlet pipe extends through said water supply pipe and beyond said water outlet opening,

said water supply pipes comprises a wall which is opposite to said water outlet opening and joined to said air inlet pipe, and

said air inlet pipe communicates with an air supply pipe.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said water supply pipe and said air supply pipe are curved and,

a plurality of said mixing chambers are provided, which are spaced apart and disposed on the outside of the curvature of the water supply pipe.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said air inlet pipe and discharge nozzle and water outlet opening being coaxial, said water outlet opening being annular and surrounding said air inlet pipe. 

1. An apparatus for producing artificial snow, which comprises mixing chamber means defining at least one mixing chamber adapted to be filled with water, said mixing chamber means comprising a wall, a discharge nozzle connected to said mixing chamber, an air inlet pipe having an outlet opening in said mixing chamber, and a water supply pipe directly connected to said wall and having a water outlet opening through which said water supply pipe communicates with said mixing chamber, said water outlet opening being smaller in area and in diameter than the cross-section of said mixing chamber and smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of said water supply pipe so that said water supply pipe is formed with a turbulenceproducing edge defining said water outlet opening.
 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said air inlet pipe extends through said water supply pipe and beyond said water outlet opening, said water supply pipes comprises a wall which is opposite to said water outlet opening and joined to said air inlet pipe, and said air inlet pipe communicates with an air supply pipe.
 3. An apparAtus as set forth in claim 2, in which said water supply pipe and said air supply pipe are curved and, a plurality of said mixing chambers are provided, which are spaced apart and disposed on the outside of the curvature of the water supply pipe.
 4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said air inlet pipe and discharge nozzle and water outlet opening being coaxial, said water outlet opening being annular and surrounding said air inlet pipe. 